Pneumatic water-elevator.



E. E. THOMAS. PNEUMATIC WATER ELEVATOR, ABPLIOATION FILED uumo', 191a.

Patented 0ct.27,1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS FETER5 CO PHOTD-LITHG.. WASHINGTON. a. c.

E. E. THOMAS.

PNEUMATIC WATER ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1913.

1,1 1 5, 1 31 Patented Oct. 2?, 19m

8 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

//r yen for,

THE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHO'IO-LITH 1.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

E. E. THOMAS.

PNEUMATIC WATER ELEVATOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20; 1913.

1 1 1 5, 1 3 1 I Patented 0015.27, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3 Witnesses; a 6 Z hu a/12%,;

THE NORRIS PEYERS (20., PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, o. C.

UNITED srarns (rarest current EDWIN E. THOMAS, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIG-NOR 0F ONE-HALF TO HARRY O.- TENNEY, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

PNEUMATIC WATER-ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2?, 1 914..-

Application filed January 20, 1913. Serial No. 743,092.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWIN E. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Portland, county of Multnomah, and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic ater-Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pneumatic water elevators, and more particularly to an apparatus adapted for lifting water by means of compressed air. It has among its salient obj ects,to provide a device of the character referred to which is simple and efiicient in its construction and operation, and in which the expense and attention necessary for its maintenance has been reduced to a minimum; to provide a device of the character referred to which is capable of adaptation to any location and for any capacity; to provide a device of the character referred to which is capable of liftlng water from a low level to any elevation and there delivering it in a steady and continuous stream with a minimum amount of power; and, in general, to provide a device for the purpose referred to which is simple and practicable, efficient and economical in its construction and operation, and which c anbe readily adapted to any condition where water is to be lifted from one level to another at an elevation.

- Incrder that others may understand my invention, I have shown on the accompanying sheets of drawings for purposes of illustration,'one practical form or embodiment thereof which I will now describe.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a front elevation of this embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

My invention, broadly considered, contemplates, in combination with a body of water and a source of air under pressure, one or more containers or tanks adapted to be movably supported or confined in water, each having a valve-controlled inlet for the automatic inflow of water, and a valve-controlled port or inlet for the admission of air under pressure, with mechanism, operable by the bodily movement of said container, for operating the valve which controls the flow of compressed air into, and from, said container with a suitable delivering or distributing main or pipe leading from said container. When air under pressure is admitted to one of said containers, the water therein is forced out through its delivering ordistributing main or pipe until the container, partially filled with air, is lifted by reason of the buoyancy of the water in which it is placed, which movement operates the valve which cuts off the supply of compressed air, and opens an outlet or exhaust from the container, whereupon the water again rushes into the container until it is filled and again sinks or moves downwardly, which movement operates the valve in an opposite direction to again admit compressed air to said container and force the water out through the carrying main.

Referring now to the drawings, I have shown as a preferred embodiment of my invention a duplex or double acting device, which is capable of lifting water from a low level to another level at an elevation and there delivering it in a continuous and steady stream.

For the embodiment of the invention here shown and described any suitable foundation or anchorage may be used upon which to mount it, it being understood that the device here shown is fully submerged in water. I prefer to provide a cast standard A, comprising a base plate 1, an upright member 2, suitably strengthened and braced, as at 3 and 4, and provided at its upper end with an overhanging conduit portion 5, having outlets 6 and 7 from the conduit thereof at opposite sides thereof, and also at its top side, as indicated at 8. Mounted upon the base plate 1 are two stops 99, for a purpose hereinafter again referred to.

Movably supported at opposite sides of the standard A, are two containers or tanks 10 and 11. vThese are preferably of cylindrical form and are pivotally supported at the ends of two rocker arms 12 and 13, which are pivotally mounted upon the standard A, as at 14 and 15, whereby said containers or tanks can be moved bodilyin a vertical di rection, within certain limits. Said containers are provided in their bottoms with inlet openings, as 1616, with check valves for preventing water from passing out therethrough, as'indicated, whereby, when pressure within the containers is reduced sufficiently, the water rushes into them, in a manner well understood.

Each container is provided with an outlet near its bottom, as at17'-18, connected by means of flexible pipes or mains 19 20 with the outlets 67 of the conduit portion 5 of the standard A, whereby to interfere as little as possible with the bodily vertical movements or oscillations of the containers. Suitable check valves are interposed in these connecting pipes or mains, as at 21-22-, whereby to prevent any back flow of water forced therethrough. V

Mounted upon the containers 10 and 11, are valve casings 23 -24, respectively, which provide valve chambers 2525, with valves 26-26 movably mounted therein and controlling three passageways leading from each as follows: An exhaust passage 27 with which is connected an exhaust pipe 28, leading to any desired location; an inlet passage 29 leadinginto the container; and a supply passageway 30 connected by means (of a flexible pipe or tube 31, with a fixed head 33, mounted upon the overhanging conduit portion 5, of the standard A, and which has connected thereto a supply pipe as, from any desired source of compressed air.

The Valves 26-26, in the valve casings 23-24, are each operated by means of amechanism which is operable by the bodily movement of said containers 10 and 11, each of said mechanisms comprising a lever, as 35, connected at one end with the valve, and at its opposite end projected between two fixed parts or fingers, as 3686, upon an arm 37, depending from a back or cross piece 88, mounted upon the standard A. By means of this arrangement, any vertical movement of said containers in opposite directions operates to move said valves in opposite directions. For. example, when the valve 26 of the down or right container is in the position shown, passageways 29-30 are in open communication with the valve chamber 25, thus permitting compressed air from supply pipe 31 to pass through said valve chamber and into the container 11, thereby forcing water from said container 11, out through pipe 20, the conduit member 5, and up through a distributing pipe 39, connected with the outlet 8 of said member 5. When .suiiicient compressed air has thus displaced the water forced from container 11, the container rises by reason of the buoyancy of the water in which it is submerged and the valve 26 is moved to the position shown at the left hand side of the drawings, Fig. 1, or on the up container 10, thereby opening communication between the inlet passage 29 and the exhaust passage 27, thus permitting the compressed air to escape through the exhaust pipe 28, and allowing water to run in through theinlet or opening in the bottom of the container 10. It will be noted'that these containers and their valves for controlling the admission of compressed air thereto are opposed to each other and are so arranged that when water is filling one container, as container 10 in the drawings, compressed air is forcing the inrush of water thereto. The outlet pipes 1920, from the containers 10-11, both being connected through the conduit piece 5, with the distributing or carrying main 39, and both being provided with suitable check valves, as at 21 and 22, operate to give a Steady and continuous flow of water, for as soon as the forced supply of water from one of said containers is cut oif, a supply from the other is cut in, whereby there is an unbroken liow of water up through the distributing pipe 39. I have also provided means for increasing or varying the resist ance adored by said containers to the buoyancy of the water in'which they are placed. One form of device for thispurpose comprises a small standard, as 40. Mounted one upon'each container and pivotally supporting a lever, as 4-1, provided with an adjustable weight, as 42, upon one end thereof,.and

with an anti-frictionbearing or wheel, as

43, at its opposite or shorter end, which friction end engages the end of a cross pieceaa, mounted upon the standard A, as thecontainer commences to rise. This device checks or retards the upward movement of the down container 11, so as to permit more of the water therein to be forced there-from before the container rises sufiicientlyto operate the valve 26 on said container. Thus can the movement of the containers be regulated so as to discharge as much of the water v therefrom each time as possible without forcing the air out through the delivery pipes 19 and 20 leading therefrom. The downward movement of the containers is limited by the stops 99 mounted upon the base plate 1.

lVhile I have shown and described but one embodiment of the invention,I am aware that many changes can be made therein without departing'from the spirit thereof,

and I do not, therefore, limit the invention to the particular form here shown and described for purposes of illustration, except as I may be limited by the hereto appended claims.

I claim: v

1. A submerged pneumatic water elevator of the character described, comprising in combination, a source of air under pressure, a supporting standard submerged, two vertically spaced rocker arms pivotally mounted upon said standard, two water containers pivotally connected near their tops and bottoms to the opposite ends of said rocker arms, whereby they can move alternately in opposite directions vertically, stops for limiting the downward movement thereof, valve-controlled inlets and outlets for water near the bottom of said containers, water pipes from said outlets, inlet and exhaust ports nearthe tops of said containers for compressed air, supply pipes from said source of compressed air tosaid inlet ports, and exhaust pipes from said exhaust ports, valve members controlling saidinlet and exhaust ports and operable by the vertical movement of said containers, means for retarding the initial upward movement of each container, and the whole of said mechanism being adapted for complete submersion in said body of water as shown.

2. In a pneumatic water elevator as shown and described, a supporting standard having pivotally mounted thereupon, one above the other, two rocker arms, two water containers pivotally connected at their tops and hottoms, to the opposite ends of said upper and lower rocker arms, wherebysaid containers can move vertically without any tipping movement, valve-controlled inlets and outlets for water in the bottoms of said containers, valve controlled inlets and outlets for air in the tops of said containers, a source of air under pressure with pipe connections to said air inlets, exhaust pipes from said air outlets, and water pipes connected with the water outlets, substantially as described;

3. A pneumatic water elevator adapted to be submerged and comprising in combination, a source of air under pressure, a supporting standard submerged, two water containers pivotally connected near their tops and bottoms to the opposite ends of tWo vertically spaced rocker arms which are pivotally connected at their middles to said supporting standard, whereby said containers can move in opposite directions vertically and Without tilting movement, valve-controlled inlets and outlets in the bottoms of said containers, delivery pipes connected with said outlets, a three-way valve casing mounted directly upon each of said containers and communicating therewith, pipe connections from said casings to said source of air under pressure, exhaust pipes from said valve casings, valve members in said three-way valve casings for controlling the communication between said ways, means operating said valve members with the vertical bodily movement of said containers, and means capable of regulation for retarding the movement vertically of said submerged containers, said means comprising an adjustable weight upon a lever, substantially as shown and described.

Signed at Portland, Multnomah county, Oregon, this 4th day of January, 1912.

EDWIN E. THOMAS.

In presence of- J. C. STRENG, Gr. A. NICHOLS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ?atents,

Washington, D. C. 

